Wednesday, March 25, 2009

When I am trying to find the right word or I want to explore a concept, I employ word association by making a list. Here's an example the writer character in my book "Painting The Invisible Man" explored:

Family secrets. Family secrets are skeletons in the closet, are ‘ills that flesh are heir to.' I write this down. Secrets are hurtful. Secrets cause harm. Secrets wound. I add this to the page.

I need to heal that open wound once and for all. Maybe learning the truth is the salve I need. Salve. I write that down and continue the word association. A salve is an ointment. An ointment, a balm. A balm is an oil…an oil, an unction. An unction is an anointing. An anointing, a laying on of hands. A laying on of hands is a blessing. A blessing, a sanctification. To sanctify is to purify, to free from sin. Salve. Salvation.

"I’ll pray for your father, Anna, but he needs to repent first." Father Riccardi’s voice enters my thoughts. To be saved, one must first atone, I write. Atonement…redemption… deliverance… liberation.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Tuesday, March 24 on "Talk To Me..." book marketing expert and radio talk show host Francine Silverman. Fran is editor/publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, a bi-weekly ezine for authors of all genres, and author of Book Marketing from A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005), a compilation of the best marketing strategies of 325 authors from all over the English-speaking world.

Tune in, Call in, Live! 347-327-9158 and Talk to me...and Fran!

Can't tune in today? This show, and all my interviews, are available in the archives. Simply go to Talk To Me...Conversations With Creative, Unconventional People. www.blogtalkradio.com/rita

Friday, March 13, 2009

(Note: If the term appears in ALL CAPS below, then it must be written in ALL CAPS in your script)

Montage: A series of images showing a theme, a contradiction, or the passage of time.

O.S. or O.C. Off-screen or Off-camera. This is the abbreviation sometimes seen next to the CHARACTER'S name before certain bits of dialog. It means the writer specifically wants the voice to come from somewhere unseen.

POV Point of View. The camera replaces the eyes (sometimes the ears) of a character, monster, machine, surveillance camera, etc. As a result, we get to see the world through the senses or sensory devices of an "other."

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Tuesday, March 10 on "Talk To Me..." Annamaria Hemingway, writer, spiritual counselor and member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies."Practicing Conscious Living and Dying: Stories of the Eternal Continuum of Consciousness."

Tune in, Call in, Live! 347-327-9158 and Talk to me...and Annamaria!

Can't tune in today? This show, and all my interviews, are available in the archives. Simply go to Talk To Me...Conversations With Creative, Unconventional People. www.blogtalkradio.com/rita

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Okay, your manuscript is done...finally! Now, you can't wait to hop in your car and mail it off to all those editors whose names you've been collecting and coveting.Stop! Wait...trust me on this.

Don't do anything for two weeks...and I mean it. During those two weeks, don't even think about reading your manuscript. Instead, return all those phone calls you've been screening, pay your bills, treat your honey to a great evening to make up for all the time you've ignored him or her while you've been writing.

Then, after those two weeks have passed, read a printed copy of your manuscript. Reading print copy rather than screen copy will allow you to see your work in a new light. And it will highlight those little mistakes and inconsistencies that were previously overlooked. Believe me when I tell you, they are there.

Once you've inputted those corrections, spend the money to make three more copies of your manuscript. Find three people who can and will read your manuscript and give you brutal, honest, unadulterated feedback. Give one to each on your list. Tell them to feel free to mark the copy, note comments, raise questions, and circle typos (trust me, there will be at least thirty more).

When the friend(s) are done, meet with them, individually. Put your ego and emotions aside and listen to their comments. This is your reading public. And their initial critique could mean the difference between a sale and a rejection.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

When there is a choice between a 30-second radio ad and a 60-second radio spot, opt for 60 seconds. You'll have twice as long to establish your "setting," sell your product, and repeat your phone number, three times. A 60-second radio spot does not cost that much more than a 30-second one.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

About Headlines• Use them!• One out of five people do not get beyond the headline to the body of the copy.• A strong, enticing headline is the most important element of any marketing copy.• Headlines should not be repetitive—the first paragraph should reinforce, not repeat, the feeling/message created in headline.• A headline tells the reader what to expect. It also gives you, your company, and your web site an identity your prospective customer will remember.